Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
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MS-SLP Core Curriculum
Core Disorders Courses (Required)
Course Number Title
SLHS 521 Phonological Disorders
SLHS 523 Language Disorders in Children
SLHS 529 Stuttering
SLHS 531 Language Disorders in Adults
SLHS 532 Voice Disorders
SLHS 539 Dysphagia
SLHS 549 Clinical Practicum taken each semester prior to Education & Healthcare Externships
Core Normal Processes Courses (Required)
Course Number Title
SLHS 501 Neural Bases of Speech & Hearing
SLHS 502 Fundamentals of Speech Production & Perception
Special Emphasis Disorders Courses
(Students choose a minimum of 9 credits from this list or other communication disorder courses, as offered.)
Course Number Title
SLHS 518 Counseling in SLP & AUD
SLHS 524 Communication Disorders in Infancy
SLHS 537 Speech Motor & Feeding Development
SLHS 536 Traumatic Brain Injury
SLHS 538 Motor Speech Disorders
SLHS 544 School Clinical Methods
SLHS 540 Augmentative & Alternative Communication
SLHS 551 Rehabilitative Audiology in Children
Special Emphasis Normal Processess Courses
(choose a minimum of 3 credits; examples are listed)
Course Number Title
SLHS 519B Aging and Communication
SLHS 509 Language Acquisition
Plan of Study
The Plan of Study (POS), a requirement of the graduate school of Purdue University, is an individualized list of each student's academic requirements for completing the graduate degree. Students are required to develop a POS by midterm of the second semester of the graduate program. The POS represents a cohesive program of graduate study and coursework appropriate to the specific professional and academic needs of the student. Academic advisors are assigned to new students at the beginning of the program and students then meet with advisors to develop their individual POS.
REQUIRED COURSES
Clinical MS-SLP students who pursue the thesis option complete the core (required) courses. They also complete 9 credits of Special Emphasis Disorders coursework and 3 credits of Other Normal Processes courses, with the following variation:
Thesis research credits (698) may be used to satisfy up to 6 hours of Special Emphasis Disorders courses and 3 hours of Other Normal Processes courses, if approved by the graduate committee and the student's advisory committee.
Thesis option students submit a letter, signed by the major professor and advisory committee, to the graduate committee. The letter describes the content of the research enrollments to show why they should be considered as fulfilling requirements in either area.
Beginning in the fall of 2003, speech language pathology clinical master's degree students will use the KASA to record coursework and clinical practicum experiences. As previously described in this document, course instructors provide outcome information to the graduate secretary each semester and students review the KASA with their advisor during advising meetings. Therefore, use of the KASA form serves as a mechanism for monitoring progress towards meeting knowledge and skills outcome requirements delineated in ASHA standards. During the 2002-2003 academic year, the Academic and Practica Record (APR form) was used, but is replaced by the KASA for those SLP students beginning the MS-SLP program in fall semester of 2003.
Mechanisms to assure that SLHS Curriculum addresses Unit Assessment System Criteria 3 & 4 (ASHA/IPSB Standards): (return to top)
The Department of SLHS maintains a committee to oversee curriculum changes and to assure that ASHA standards are met by the curriculum. The SLP Standards and Curriculum committee includes the Director of Clinical Education in Speech-Language Pathology, as well as representatives from the department faculty and professional staff. This committee meets several times each year to review courses, the clinical program, and any revisions of ASHA standards that may need to be addressed. Members of this committee developed the MS-SLP Mapping Guide and have spearheaded the development of the program's UAS. The KASA is one mechanism that is used to compile evidence of knowledge and skills outcomes in accordance with ASHA standards. During the initial phase of formative assessment development, faculty and staff were asked to identify artifacts (ex., projects, papers, exams, experiences) that serve as evidence that a student is developing competence in either knowledge or skills area as identified in ASHA Standards III
(Knowledge Outcomes) and IV (Skills Outcomes). Formative Assessment (ASHA Standard V) is addressed by the SLP Curriculum Committee (until fall 2002) and by the Committee for UAS and ASHA Standards Implementation (this replaced the SLP Curriculum Committee). The ad hoc committee was appointed by the Head of SLHS to facilitate the following: 1) identification of the key performance indicators (e.g., documentation, artifacts, or progress points) within the MS-SLP program that will be compiled to demonstrate formative and summative assessment, 2) oversee implementation of tools and procedures based on the KASA, and 3) develop procedures to assure that student progress is monitored and notification of satisfactory progress through Gates is provided to the Office of Field Experiences, and to the Office of Professional Preparation and Licensure (Purdue University office that interfaces with the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences for the placement of Education Externs).
During Spring Semester, 2003, all faculty and staff reviewed the ASHA Standards to assure that the preliminary information that had been identified on the Mapping Guide was accurate. Faculty and staff confirmed the courses and experiences within the program that address each of the knowledge or skills outcomes. To assist faculty with the development of objectives to be included in course syllabi, each faculty or staff member was provided with an outline indicating the skills and/or knowledge outcomes to be addressed in each course. The Course Syllabus "Boilerplate" is an outline to provide format and style for developing a course syllabus to include knowledge and skills outcomes linked to ASHA Standards. An example of the "Boilerplate" Syllabus is found in Appendix 7A. Appendix 7B is an example with instructions that was provided to course instructors. return to top
Mechanisms & Components That Address Unit Assessment System Criteria 2, 3, & 4
The "Knowledge and Skills Assessment" (KASA) is a document that serves as the foundation for a process to assure that all ASHA Standards are met. At the beginning of the first semester of the graduate program, all speech-language pathology students are provided with a copy of the ASHA Standards and the process and tools of formative assessment are explained:
· The KASA serves as a record of the courses, practicum experiences, and formative assessments that comprise the program for each MS-SLP and AUD student.
· Updated information for all students is maintained on the KASA each semester:
§ Course instructors document whether a skill or knowledge outcome has been met, and submit this record to the Graduate Secretary each semester. If an outcome is not met the course instructor identifies methods of remediation.
§ The Graduate Secretary enters data into each student's KASA.
§ KASA information becomes a component of the graduate student's department file. The student and their academic advisor review program progress each semester.
· Formative Assessment for Clinical Skills Outcomes is recorded on a "Clinical Skills Competency Form" for each clinical assignment (see Appendix 4).
§ Student-clinicians and their supervisors discuss clinical skills development during weekly meetings throughout practicum experiences.
§ Student clinicians self-evaluate skills development.
§ Supervisors provide formative evaluation at mid-semester and at the end of each clinical assignment.
§ Students evaluate supervisors at the end of each semester.
· Clinical Competency Evaluations are submitted to students' departmental graduate files at the end of each semester.
· Students record clinical clock hours on "Log Cards" that are verified by clinical supervisors each semester.
· Graduate Secretary enters clinical clock hours into departmental database each semester.
· Director of Clinical Education in Speech Language Pathology and the Clinic Director monitor students' progress in the clinical program by reviewing:
§ Clinical assignments: age and disorder type of clients (to assure experiences across the lifespan, and diversity of clinical work with various disorder types).
§ Number of clinical hours accrued in each assignment.
§ Grades earned in clinical assignments/relative areas of strengths and weaknesses in clinical skills.
Indicator for Compliance With ASHA Standard I:
Graduate students meet with advisor to determine if all prerequisite course requirements are met, and to form a Plan of Study as is described in the Graduate Program Handbook. To assist in forming the Plan of Study a list of Purdue University courses is provided that include identification of those courses that include information about normal and abnormal human development and behavior across the life span (LS) or in culturally diverse populations (CD).
Indicator for ASHA Standard II:
The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools accredit Purdue University.
Indicator for ASHA Standards III-IV:
The applicant must complete a curriculum of academic and clinical education that follows an appropriate sequence of learning sufficient to achieve the skills outcomes in Standard IV-V.
The KASA form is used as a tool for students and their supervisors to document progress towards meeting each of the knowledge and skills outcomes. The department of SLHS Graduate secretary enters hours into a database at end of each semester. Student progress in acquiring experience with clients of diverse disorders and with patients across the lifespan is monitored by clinic staff, as student's experiences/hours for each semester are reviewed to determine upcoming assignments. The program maintains records of ASHA certification for all supervisors. Each supervisor provides appropriate levels of supervision; signature of supervisor on "Clinical Competence Evaluation Form" indicates that required supervision has been provided. To assure compliance with this standard Purdue University requires students to have significant experiences in the following categories:
¨ Evaluation of children's speech
¨ Evaluation of children's language
¨ Evaluation of adult's speech
¨ Evaluation of adult's language
¨ Treatment of children's speech
¨ Treatment of children's language
¨ Treatment of adult's speech
¨ Treatment of adult's language
¨ Audiological assessment
¨ Aural habilitation/rehabilitation
¨ swallowing (oral, pharyngeal, esophageal, and related functions, including oral function for feeding; orofacial myofunction)
¨ cognitive aspects of communication (attention, memory, sequencing, problem-solving, executive functioning)
¨ social aspects of communication (including challenging behavior, ineffective social skills, lack of communication opportunities)
¨ communication modalities (including oral, manual, augmentative, and alternative communication techniques and assistive technologies)
An evaluation of Clinical Skills Competence is made for each clinical assignment that a student completes. The "PURDUE UNIVERSITY - CLINICAL SKILLS COMPETENCE FORM" is used throughout the clinical assignment for formative assessment. These documents are maintained in the graduate student's department file. All skill areas identified in the ASHA standards are targeted within the CSCF and a numerical evaluation system is used to indicate progress in skills acquisition (see Appendix 4).
An example tool for assessment of audiology knowledge and skills outcomes in found in Appendix 8, "Clinical Skills Competency Form" for audiology clinical practicum.
Indicators for ASHA STANDARD V: ASSESSMENT
The applicant for certification must successfully complete formative and summative assessments of the knowledge and skills delineated in Standard III and Standard IV.
Formative Assessment
The applicant must meet the educational program's requirements for demonstrating satisfactory performance through periodic assessment of knowledge and skills. The Knowledge and Skills Acquisition Summary Form (KASA-Summary) for Speech-Language Pathology Certification is found in Appendix 5-A; the KASA Summary form for Audiology Certification is in Appendix 5-B. The ASHA program director reviews students' KASA forms and records results on the appropriate area form (speech-language pathology or audiology) to verify that all requirements for certification have been met.
Summative Assessment
The applicant must pass the national examination adopted by ASHA for purposes of certification in speech-language pathology.
Summative Assessment Procedures: return to top
For those MS-SLP students who entered the program prior to Fall semester, 2003, the Academic and Practica Record (APR) form was used by the students and their advisor to record progress through the clinical program. The KASA form and related procedure will be used in accordance with the newly implemented ASHA Standards for speech-language pathology program for MS-SLP students who enter the program in Fall semester, 2003, or later.
Administrative review of the KASA to determine those areas in which a student has failed to achieve either knowledge or skills outcomes.
¨ Students demonstrate remediation of relatively weak areas by producing work (eg., paper, project, report) that is assigned and reviewed by professor, instructor, or clinical supervisor who made original assignment.
NESPA examination for ASHA certification requirements. Students take PRAXIS examination for Speech-Language Pathology.
¨ ASHA requirements for exam are met.
§ If requirements are not met, student engages in further study and retakes examination.
[Criterion 4: UAS uses the collective presentation of candidate assessments and related data to document that the candidates meet the ASHA/IPSB standards.]
Mechanism for Accomplishing Unit Assessment System Criterion 4:
Course instructors address knowledge outcomes by developing learning objectives that link to ASHA standards (See Appendix 7A).
Course instructors identify artifacts or evidence of experiences that contribute to skills and knowledge development. Examples of artifacts may include:
¨ Assignments/Projects from core courses
¨ Exam questions/answers that demonstrate knowledge and written communication competency
¨ Course activities that demonstrate knowledge and oral communication competency
¨ Clinical competency evaluations for clinical assignments
¨ Clinical hours completed with a diversity of disorders and with clients/patients across the lifespan
Review of KASA by Major Professor (Advisor) occurs regularly and serves as the mechanism for assuring that students understand their progress within the program.
§ Areas of remediation will be addressed through coursework or clinical experiences.
§ Comprehensive exams will serve as a form of individualized summative assessment.
Clinical experiences are assigned to provide students experience in working with a diversity of communication disorders and with clients/patients across the lifespan. The Director of Clinical Education in Speech Language Pathology and the S/L Clinic Director regularly review assignments and clinic clock hours.
Comprehensive Exam results
Application for ASHA certification
¨ Review by ASHA program director (SLHS- R. Novak)
[Criterion 5: UAS uses aggregated assessments from individual candidates and
Other sources to refine and revise the conceptual framework, and courses
and curriculum in the program.]
Mechanism for Addressing Unit Assessment System Criterion 5:
Annual tasks of appointed committees of the Department of Audiology & Speech Sciences:
1. Curriculum/SLP Standards Committee reviews assessment data to determine how ASHA standards are met.
2. Director of Clinical Education in SLP or designee, monitors progress through Gates & serves as liaison with Office of Professional Preparation & Licensure (OPPL).
3. Graduate Program Chair and ASHA program director review aggregated data:
a. Results of program surveys
b. Results of comprehensive & NESPA exams
4. The following tools are used to evaluate Education Externs (Student Teachers) during Field Placement in public schools. Data from four academic years (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002) has been aggregated and is used to improve public school placements of MS-SLP Education Externs (Student Teachers). These tools are questionnaires, so categories are rated numerically and frequently occurring comments are also listed:
a. Co-operating Teacher (School SLP during Education Externship) evaluations of Externs (student teachers) is included in Appendix 10.
b. University Supervisor evaluations of Externs (student teachers) is included Appendix 11.
c. Evaluation of school SLP clinical experience (see APPENDIX 9).
[Criterion 6: The unit ensures that its assessment system is continuously managed.]
Mechanism for Accomplishing Criterion 6:
The Chair of the Graduate Program, the Directors of Clinical Education in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, and the ASHA Program Director monitor to assure compliance with ASHA standards. A comprehensive annual report is submitted to the American Speech Language Hearing Association and periodic site visits are conducted by ASHA to assure compliance in order to retain certification of the programs.
[Criterion 7: UAS provides for review and revision of the assessment system.] Return to top
Mechanism for Accomplishing Criterion 7:
The ASHA Program Director, Graduate Committee & SLP Curriculum/Standards Committee review and revise UAS based on results of Criterion 5 & 6, as well as any changes in ASHA standards. Each year the American Speech Language Hearing Association provides feedback to the programs in response to annual reports. The Department of SLHS makes any changes that are required by ASHA.